To mark the first National Harm Reduction Day in Canada (June 12th), CAPUD released a report calling for dramatic changes in the participation of people who use illicit drugs in the services, policies and research that directly impact their lives.
The report, Collective Voices/Effecting Change, is the result of a national meeting of fourteen organizations of people who use drugs from across Canada in October 2013. Meeting in Victoria BC, and hosted by members of SOLID, representatives highlighted multiple issues that impact the health, safety and well being of people who use drugs. The report outlines main issues all groups face, including lack of access to affordable housing, stigma and discrimination in access to housing and health care services, police harassment, criminalization and the need for drug policy reform, and lack of harm reduction services, particularly in rural areas.